Do you have too much iron in your body? Let's talk about Hemochromatosis!

Do you sometimes feel unusually tired for no reason? Do your joints, especially your knees and toes, hurt, and your skin looks a little gray or bronze? We often dismiss these things as "just the way we get older." But these can be signs of a condition in which the iron levels in our body increase dangerously. This condition is medically called Hemochromatosis . This is what we're talking about today.

Simply put, what is Hemochromatosis?

Hemochromatosis is a condition in which your body accumulates too much iron . Some people also call it " iron overload ."

Normally, our bodies absorb only the amount of iron we need from the food we eat. However, in people with hemochromatosis, the body absorbs more iron than it needs. The problem is that there is no way to remove this excess iron from the body.

So where does the body store this excess iron? It's stored in your joints, as well as in vital organs like your liver , heart , skin, pituitary gland, and pancreas . Over time, this accumulated iron begins to damage those organs. If left untreated, these organs can even stop working.

There are two main types of this disease.

This situation can be mainly divided into two types.

1. Primary Hemochromatosis: This is the most common type. It is hereditary. Simply put, to develop this disease, you must inherit the defective gene from both your mother and father. If you inherit it from only one parent, you will not develop the disease, but you may be a carrier of the gene.

2. Secondary Hemochromatosis: This occurs due to other reasons. For example, this condition can occur in someone who needs frequent blood transfusions due to a condition such as severe anemia.

What causes this situation?

Let's see what are the reasons for this.

Hereditary causes (Primary Hemochromatosis)

Our bodies have a gene called `HFE`. This is what controls how much iron we absorb from the food we eat. Two mutations in this `HFE` gene, namely `C282Y` and `H63D`, are the cause of most hereditary hemochromatosis patients.

In addition, mutations in other genes, such as `HJV` and `HAMP`, can also cause this disease in a small number of people (about 10%-15%). People affected by these genes usually develop symptoms at a young age.

Caused by other medical conditions (Secondary Hemochromatosis)

This type is usually caused by frequent blood transfusions due to conditions such as severe anemia (such as sickle cell anemia) or bone marrow failure. The red blood cells that are donated when you donate blood contain a lot of iron. Since the body has no way to remove this iron, they start to accumulate.

Also, liver damage, for example, due to fatty liver disease ( cirrhosis ) or chronic hepatitis B or C, can cause iron to accumulate in the body.

Who is at higher risk of developing this disease?

Although anyone can develop hemochromatosis, some people are at higher risk.

Do you also have these symptoms?

About half of people with hemochromatosis do not experience any symptoms. Men usually develop symptoms between the ages of 30 and 50, while women often develop symptoms after the age of 50 or after menopause.

How do you find this, Doctor?

Because these symptoms can be seen in other diseases, it can sometimes be difficult to diagnose. Your doctor will ask you about your family medical history and will also perform a physical exam.

In addition, these tests may be performed:

• Blood tests: Two main tests are performed here.
• Transferrin Saturation: This measures how much iron is bound to a protein (transferrin) that transports iron in the blood.
• Serum Ferritin: This measures the amount of a protein (ferritin) that stores iron in the blood.

If these tests show that your iron levels are high, your doctor may also perform a genetic test to see if you have the gene that causes hemochromatosis.

• Liver Biopsy: The doctor takes a small piece of tissue from the liver and examines it under a microscope to see if there is any damage to the liver.

• MRI scan: This can take clear images of your organs and see if they have iron deposits.

What are the treatments?

If you have Primary Hemochromatosis, the treatment is very simple. It involves removing blood from your body on a specific schedule. This is called Phlebotomy.

Phlebotomy

This is similar to donating blood. A doctor or trained nurse inserts a needle into a vein in your arm and draws blood into a blood bag.

• Initial treatment: Initially, you will need to go to the hospital once or twice a week to have blood drawn until your iron levels return to normal. This can take several months or a year.
• Maintenance therapy: Once iron levels have returned to normal, the frequency of blood transfusions is reduced, usually to two to four times a year.

Treatment with drugs (Chelation Therapy)

If you have secondary hemochromatosis, or if your veins are not strong enough to absorb blood, your doctor may prescribe a treatment called `Chelation Therapy.` In this, you are given a medication that helps your body eliminate excess iron through your urine and stool.

Can this condition be managed at home?

A person undergoing phlebotomy treatment usually does not need to make any major changes to their diet, as the treatment itself controls their iron levels. However, you can do the following to reduce your risk of complications:

• Avoid alcohol completely. Alcohol damages the liver, making it very dangerous with this disease.
• Avoid eating raw fish or shellfish. The bacteria in these can cause serious infections in people with high iron levels.
• Avoid taking vitamin C supplements. However, there is no problem in eating fruits and vegetables that contain vitamin C.
• Avoid taking iron pills or multivitamins that contain iron.
• Avoid iron-fortified breakfast cereals.